Olympic Trials - Track and Field

[Nevada Hoya]

Emily easily moved into the finals by finishing in the top 6:
Abbey D'Agostino Unattached 15:41.14 Q
2 Julie Culley Asics/N Y A C 15:41.29 Q
3 Julia Lucas Nike / Oregon TC Elite 15:42.82 Q
4 Emily Infeld Georgetown 15:43.41 Q
5 Deborah Maier Unattached 15:43.54 Q
6 Lisa Uhl Nike / Oregon TC Elite 15:48.16 Q
7 Kathy Kroeger Stanford 15:50.09
8 Emily Sisson Unattached 15:52.37
9 Renee Metivier Baillie Unattached 16:01.47
10 Amanda Dunne Saucony 16:02.23
11 Angela Bizzarri Brooks 16:05.01
12 Jackie Areson Nike 16:11.19
13 Brie Felnagle adidas 16:13.34
14 Frances Koons New Balance / New York A C 16:45.93

[Nevada Hoya]

Two for two: Liz Maloy takes the 2nd heat. Team tactics by the Hoyas a la Kenyans in the finals?

Place Athlete Name Affiliation Time Qual
1 Elizabeth Maloy New Balance 15:46.00 Q
2 Molly Huddle Saucony 15:46.05 Q
3 Kim Conley SRA Elite 15:47.39 Q
4 Tara Erdmann Unattached 15:49.98 Q
5 Alisha Williams Boulder Running Company/adidas 15:51.10 Q
6 Lauren Fleshman Nike / Oregon TC Elite 15:51.53 Q
7 Magdalena Lewy Boulet Saucony 15:51.73
8 Kellyn Johnson adidas/McMillan Elite 15:54.42
9 Amy Hastings Brooks 15:59.05
10 Nicole Aish Unattached 16:02.84
11 Alissa McKaig ZAP Fitness Reebok 16:03.09
DNS Katherine Mackey Brooks
DNS Jennifer Rhines adidas

I was following this race on the Runner's World live blog. At no time did they mention Liz during the race, and she ends up winning it. They were concentrated on Huddle (2nd) and Hastings (9th and didn't qualify).

[Nevada Hoya]

Well, three for three is Hoyas qualifying for the finals. And two out of three of the Hoyas won their heats:

1 Andrew Bumbalough Nike 13:46.80 Q
2 Galen Rupp Nike 13:46.82 Q
3 Trevor Dunbar Oregon 13:49.19 Q
4 Mohamed Trafeh Nike 13:49.34 Q
5 Robert Cheseret Unattached 13:49.42 Q
6 Elliott Heath Stanford 13:49.50 Q
7 Scott Bauhs Unattached 13:50.86
8 Yosef Ghebray Unattached 13:51.65
9 Dan Lowry Brown University 13:56.08
10 Jacob Riley Hansons-Brooks Distance Projec 13:59.73
11 Alan Webb Nike 14:01.25
DNF Bolota Asmerom Unattached
DNS Matt Tegenkamp Nike / Oregon TC Elite

[sleepyjackson21]

So far so good! All three easily qualify for the finals and Bumbi and Liz win their heats. Liz has the A standard and half the girls who made the finals, including Emily, don't have it. If conditions aren't ideal, maybe the girls with the A standard sit back. Maybe the college girls.....Emily, Abbey, Maier etc. team up in an attempt to get the A standard. Should be interesting.

[Nevada Hoya]

Yes, sleepy, the women's finals should be interesting. This year, no chasing the A standard, so Thursday in the final will be the last chance to get that mark (15:20).

And Bumbi is chasing an uphill battle with Rupp, Lagat, and Lomong the favorites in the 5000m. Their PRs are from 5 to 24 s faster than Bumbi's. But this is the reason they run races. I was hoping Rupp would only run the 10000m and Lomong would run the 1500m. But instead of only Lagat to contend with, he has the three of them. Plus the rest of the field.

[Nevada Hoya]

Apparently, Bumbi ran the last 800m of the 5000m in 1:53 and outleaned Rupp at the tape.

[quickplay]

Jun 25, 2012 23:40:28 GMT -5 Nevada Hoya said:

Apparently, Bumbi ran the last 800m of the 5000m in 1:53 and outleaned Rupp at the tape.

You wouldn't believe the different message boards outraged OUTRAGED that someone had the nerve to beat the anointed Rupp in the prelim.

When people point out that it was clear that Rupp was also trying to beat Bumbi, they change the topic.

Personally, I liked it. They both dropped a 1:53 last 800 and Bumbalough made the point that you don't 'get' to make an olympic team, you're going to have to actually win. The way Rupp stormed off the track I think it was a successful bit of mind play.

[Nevada Hoya]

Yes, I have seen those comments of the message boards. I liked when somebody brought up the topic that Rupp was trying to beat Bumbi too. Rupp acted like a little kid after the race, refusing to shake Bumbi's hand, etc.

Bumbi still has his work cut out for him, but I feel much better for his chances than before the race. I think he has been quietly training for this meet and peaking at the right time. He did not look that sharp in other races leading up to the trials. He said he was happy with his finishing speed, which wasn't there previously.

[EasyEd]

Nevada, thanks for all the continuing updates on our track program. Exciting.

[tgo]

i was lucky to catch a little of the pre lims on nbc sports channel, want to be sure to watch the finals so do we know what the tv schedule is so i can record the finals for bumbi and for infield and Malloy?

thanks so much for the recaps and perspective nevada and others, i always look forward to finding your threds on this stuff when important races are going on.

[Nevada Hoya]

I'm glad that you are enjoying these Olympics trials, Ed and tgo, as I am. The NBC sports channel will have the action Thursday from 9-11 pm EDT. I am not sure if this also means 6-8 pm PDT (I know the weekend broadcasts on NBC have it live to the east, taped in the west). Anyway, the race times will be 7:15 pm PDT for the women's 5000m (Liz and Emily) and 7:38 pm PDT for the men's 5000m (Bumbi).

[Nevada Hoya]

I like this comment on letsrun.com about the continuing "controversy" of Bumbi's lean:

I thought it was GREAT. If Rupp turned to Bumbi, said "great race... man, you're going to be tough to beat in the final" than it would have been worthless.

The fact that Rupp stormed away like a childish brat (and mind you, I really like Rupp and have supported him for years, but come on, he acted like an entitled a$$) made the kick and lean worth it.

Bumbi looked ALMOST as smooth as Rupp. Just like Rupp said after Prefontaine he wouldn't give Bekele an inch just because of who he was, Bumbi didn't give Rupp and inch... and he didn't like it. Boohoo.

I personally think Bumbi could very well make the team. It will be interesting how his legs recover for Thursday. I don't think Lagat is as much of a lock as others do. He has shown he can lose in a kick (lost to Manzano and lost to Centro in kicks on different years).

We can debate whether it made sense for Bumbi to run a 1:53 last 800 when all he had to do was qualify, but no one should be questioning once he did commit his last 100 or lean. Especially given Rupp's response.

[RusskyHoya]

We do know there will be at least one Hoya competing in Olympic track and field this year - Haitian triple jumper and 2010 GULC graduate Samyr Laine: www.nydailynews.com/sports/olympics-2012/york-samyr-laine-olympic-mission-raise-hope-haiti-article-1.1101333

[jgalt]

Jun 26, 2012 12:45:00 GMT -5 Nevada Hoya said:

I'm glad that you are enjoying these Olympics trials, Ed and tgo, as I am. The NBC sports channel will have the action Thursday from 9-11 pm EDT. I am not sure if this also means 6-8 pm PDT (I know the weekend broadcasts on NBC have it live to the east, taped in the west). Anyway, the race times will be 7:15 pm PDT for the women's 5000m (Liz and Emily) and 7:38 pm PDT for the men's 5000m (Bumbi).

They seem to be showing the live broadcast nationwide at the earlier time and then replaying it in the pacific prime time spot. With the trials being in Oregon its easier for them to do it live nation wide. They dont seem to be doing that with the swimming because it is in Omaha and the events have been held earlier in the day.

Nevada, can you expand on the role that the A Standard plays in who makes the team. In the high jump the commentators said that if no one attains the A Standard at this event, then the two jumpers who did earlier in the year would be on the team. Is this the same for the track events? Or are those teams determined only be results at the this meet?

[quickplay]

Don't want to step on NH's toes but basically:

You NEED the A Standard. No A, no olympics.

If you have the A and you make top three at trials in your event, you get to go (you can either have hit the standard THIS season before trials or you can hit it after trials. Unlike previous years, you cannot finish top 3 at trials and then have a few extra weeks to get the A).

The effect of that rule is that anyone who already has the A and doesn't finish top 3 at trials will still get to go to the Olympics if the person(s) who do finish top 3 don't hit the mark. BUT, they have to compete and complete at trials.

So here are a few scenarios:

1) A standard & Top 3 trials = olympics

2) A standard & not Top 3 trials = no olympics, UNLESS there is at least one top 3 spot without the A standard AND you competed and completed at trials.

3) No A Standard & Top 3 Trials = no olympics

4) Less than 3 people make the A standard in the event = Less than 3 people go to the olympics.

[Nevada Hoya]

Jgalt, that is an interesting question, because the whole business of these A and B standards is often confusing. Especially so, because different rules prevail at the World champs (which we had last year and will have next year) and the Olympics. The rule for the Olympics is that if anyone does not have an A standard in an event, one person with a B standard can go. If only one person in an event has the A standard and he finishes 4th in the trials, he/she still goes. You can send up to three runners (or field eventers) in each event only if all three have the A standard, and if an event has only three with the A standard, they go regardless of where they placed in the trials, but they have to compete in the trials. If only two have the A standard in an event and a bunch have the B standards, only the ones with the A standard are eligible to go.

In an event like the 100m, when everybody has the A standard, their placing in the trials prevail. But in some events we do not have many A standard athletes. I think in the 20K race walk (men), there is only one athlete with the A standard, so he will go to the Olympics if he finishes the race, regardless of where he places, unless another athlete gets the mark in the trials. In the women's 20K, I don't think anyone has the A standard, but some might have the B standard. In this case the winner of the race goes, if she has the B standard.

That is what makes the women's 5000m so interesting. There are some, like Liz Maloy, who have the A standard (15:20 or better), but some like Emily Infeld, who do not have the A standard, so she must finish in the top three AND get the A standard in the race to go to the Olympics. So, it is in the interest of those without the A standard to make the 5000m final an honest race. In doing so, they are jeopardizing their placing, because it is a sacrifice to lead a race, because the kickers are lurking and taking it easy, while you do the work (think peleton in bike racing).

In the HJ, Jesse Williams, who happens to be the world champion in the HJ, finished 4th in the trials. If everybody ahead of him had the A standard, Jesse would have been out of luck. But fortunately for Jesse, I believe the 3rd place finisher did not have the A standard, so it reverts to the next person in the trials, who had the A standard. There is no mixing of A's and B's (like in the World championship qualifying).

I hope that clears up the situation.

EDIT: Sorry quickplay, I just see that you gave an answer before I posted (it wasn't there when I was typing my answer up). But I don't think my answer is totally redundant.

[jgalt]

quickplay and Nevada, thanks for that info. Seems very confusing, but now I understand it. I am guessing the A and B standards are determined by how well the world (meaning all competitors) are doing in an event each year, or is there a more defined line that doesnt move much?

[Nevada Hoya]

Jgalt, I think it is a matter of how well the world is doing in an event. The standards thus evolve from one Olympiad to the next. They probably look at the 50th best performer in an event in the world for the previous year and use that as the A standard. I am just guessing, but I think they use some algorithm like that.

[Nevada Hoya]

Jun 26, 2012 13:33:21 GMT -5 RusskyHoya said:

We do know there will be at least one Hoya competing in Olympic track and field this year - Haitian triple jumper and 2010 GULC graduate Samyr Laine: www.nydailynews.com/sports/olympics-2012/york-samyr-laine-olympic-mission-raise-hope-haiti-article-1.1101333

Samyr, a graduate of Harvard, was supposed to compete on the track and field team during law school. The Ivies do not allow redshirt years, and I think Samyr had an extra year of eligibility. However, I thought he went to Florida (quite a mecca for triple jumpers today) to use his extra year of eligibility. I was surprised to see that he graduated from GULC, because he never did participate on the GU track and field team.

EDIT: After reading the Daily News article I see that he went to grad school at Texas, rather than Florida, before enrolling at GULC. At the time there was some discussion of his using up his eligibility at GU.

[Nevada Hoya]

Emily and Liz line up next to each other in the 5000m final today:

1 Magdalena Lewy Boulet Saucony
2 Abbey D'Agostino Unattached
3 Kathy Kroeger Stanford
4 Emily Sisson Unattached
5 Lisa Uhl Nike / Oregon TC Elite
6 Kim Conley SRA Elite
7 Emily Infeld Georgetown
8 Elizabeth Maloy New Balance
9 Lauren Fleshman Nike / Oregon TC Elite
10 Tara Erdmann Unattached
11 Alisha Williams Boulder Running Company/adidas
12 Kellyn Johnson adidas/McMillan Elite
13 Julie Culley Asics/N Y A C
14 Julia Lucas Nike / Oregon TC Elite
15 Deborah Maier Unattached
16 Molly Huddle Saucony